This document summarizes a lecture on Tibetan education in exile given by Professor Kaveri Gill. Some key points: - Tibetan education in exile aims to synthesize tradition and modernity to preserve Tibetan identity while equipping students for the modern world. This is a response to assimilation policies in Chinese-occupied Tibet. - Major achievements include establishing a network of Tibetan schools and monasteries across India that successfully transmit Tibetan language and culture. However, challenges include preserving the Tibetan language and adapting to changing demographics. - The vision and leadership of the Dalai Lama has been crucial in guiding Tibetan education to balance tradition and modernity over six decades of exile. While much

1. RESISTING ASSIMILATION:
THE SYNTHESIS OF
TRADITION AND MODERNITY IN
TIBETAN EDUCATION IN EXILE
Tibet Museum, Dharamshala
6 October 2022
Professor Kaveri Gill
Department of International Relations and Governance Studies
Shiv Nadar University Institution of Eminence, Delhi-NCR
&
Former Principal, Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education (DLIHE), Bengaluru

2. Central Argument: Assimilation by Design and Resistance
to Assimilation by Default
• Assimilation: the loss of one’s distinct identity of culture, language, religion and traditions,
by requiring minorities / refugees to adopt those of the colonial power/ dominant group /
host country instead
• Chinese assimilationist policies in education in Tibet* by design: overt, coercive and
increasingly aggressive, with complete erasure of Tibetan identity and indoctrination from
a young age (for e.g., colonial boarding schools for Tibetan children)
• Tibetans in exile: India, Nepal, Bhutan (and increasingly, all diaspora settled elsewhere) –
inherited the unique responsibility to protect, preserve and reproduce Tibetan identity in
all its facets above. This was recognised shortly after 1959, and incorporated into the make
up of education systems in exile. At this juncture in time, this preemptive resistance to de
facto assimilation by default (due to changing demographics, double displacement in the
form of out-migration to the West and various other factors) is critical
• What are the achievements and challenges in Tibetan education in exile in this regard?
*Defined here as 3 Tibetan provinces of Amdo, Kham, and U-Tsang

3. Remit of this Lecture
• Focus on Tibetans in exile in India
• “Education” — encompassing schools for Tibetans (Tibetan Children’s Village, Tibetan
Homes Foundation, Sambhota Tibetan School Society) and monastery schools; modern
higher education institutions for Tibetans; and scholarly Tibetan Buddhist monastic
institutions / universities (empirically, the major Gelug scholastic monasteries)
• My understanding of and focus is on higher education, both modern and monastic –
based on having been Principal at DLIHE and engaging closely with Tibetan Buddhist
institutions for almost a decade
• Tradition and modernity will look at formal (i.e. simple binary of tradition being
equated with monastic and modern with others) to informal elements and markers of
both — for instance, unquestioning respect for the teacher in pedagogy as being
traditional and affiliation, accreditation and certification as being considered modern
and so on). The synthesis aspect will pick up cross-over characteristics of informal
elements and markers adopted in formal systems

4. The Unique Historic Centrality of Tradition to
Tibetan Identity and Education
• The origin of the Tibetan language itself and Thonmi Sambhota’s quest in the 7thC
comes at the behest of a dharma king, Songtsen Gampo
• The Tibetan language is created in the context of conveying dharma meanings directly
and clearly, for example, sem chen alluding to mind possessor (the English translation
of sentient beings conveys something very different and obscure)
• Before 1959, education was most extensive and systematised in the context of
monasteries — laypeople who were to serve in government and women from elite
families etc. partook of privatised or religious education arrangements but there was
no regular universal education system
• From the 7thC until the 14-15thC, Tibet’s was largely an oral tradition — the advent of
wood block printing subsequently comes into being in the context of religious
scriptures and not more widely

5. TIBETAN EDUCATION IN EXILE AS AN
IMMEDIATE, ALBEIT TIME-BOUND, PRIORITY
• By 1959, and the coming into exile of Tibetans to India, the latter already has an old history of
colonial education policies based on Macaulay’s Minute on (Indian) Education and the passing
of English Education Act of 1835 — introducing an education system with a Western curriculum
and English as the medium of instruction, which dominates even today
• Tibetan education systems in exile in India are invariably also influenced by the established
colonial history in education policies of the host country
• In the immediate aftermath of 1959, the paramount belief is that exile is temporary — Tibetans
would soon be returning to Tibet. Therefore although education — of children and monastics
— is seen as an immediate priority, it is seen as a time-bound need
• Schools for children, as well as lamas of all traditions placed in Buxa, followed slowly by modern
higher education institutions and the Buxa lamas being moved down south to Karnataka
settlements to set up monasteries
• The gradual and shifting time horizon is reflected in the finer articulation of the vision of
Tibetan education in exile and its planning — with the goal remaining one of practice for a full-
fledged education policy back in the three provinces of Tibet, upon a return to the homeland

6. CONSCIOUSLY WEAVING TRADITION AND MODERNITY IN
TIBETAN EDUCATION IN EXILE - I
”There is no doubt, despite the current leniency, that we in exile are much better off than
our friends and relatives in Tibet. Here we have absolute freedom to go wherever we like,
do whatever we like and practice every aspect of our religion and traditions without fear
of censure from any quarter. Most important of all, our younger generations have at their
disposal all the modern educational facilities of the free world. They can learn whatever
they are interested in or whatever they feel will contribute something worthwhile to
their community, whereas what passes for education in Tibet—still to this day—is what
the authorities decide is good for them. This, I feel, is one of the worst aspects of the
Chinese rule in Tibet—this lack of real education. Children of today are the makers of the
future society. If the future of our society is in any way to be meaningful in terms of our
being a member of the world community, then they must have a modern education,
conducive to a cosmopolitan outlook of life, as well as being familiar enough with their
own culture and tradition in order to retain their distinct identity.”
– His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Commemorative Address in 1981, quoted in London
(2016), pp. 110-111

7. CONSCIOUSLY WEAVING TRADITION AND MODERNITY IN
TIBETAN EDUCATION IN EXILE - II
• Series of official conferences on education by Department of Education, Central Tibetan
Administration, in 1964; 1972; 1985; 2003; 2009 and 2014
• Meanwhile, the architecture of Tibetan education in exile becomes more sophisticated
and keeps expanding:
• Separate schools for Tibetans (Central Tibetan Schools Administration (CTSA) under
Government of India, now largely absorbed into Sambhota Tibetan School Society
(STSS); Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) schools as well as vocational and teacher
centers; Tibetan Homes Foundation (THF); Sambhota Tibetan School Society (STSS),
[plus Snow Lion Foundation (SLF) in Nepal]
• Modern higher education institutions for Tibetans (IBD, Dharamshala (1973) and
Sarah College (1991); CIHTS, Varanasi (1967); DLIHE, Bengaluru under the auspices
of TCV (2008)
• The complete faithful reproduction of monastic education institutions in exile

8. CONSCIOUSLY WEAVING TRADITION AND MODERNITY IN
TIBETAN EDUCATION IN EXILE - III
Formal articulation of a vision for Tibetan education in exile in the form of the Basic
Education Policy for Tibetans in Exile, May 2005:
• Its Chapter 3 on the purpose of education in general (inter alia, 3.1 “…to awaken and
develop the human qualities of wisdom, loving kindness and compassion; their
dependent virtues of right view and conduct…) and the purpose of education for
Tibetan people in particular (inter alia, 3.4 ”…to preserve and promote the unique
wealth of Tibetan culture and traditions, which are of great value to the whole of
humanity…” and ”…to promote and widely propagate the noble principle of Universal
Responsibility…”; 3.5 (to convert the whole of Tibet and Tibetan society into a non-
violent and compassionate one) sets out a uniquely Mahayana philosophical scaffolding
• Its Chapter 6 on the system of education begins by explicitly setting out synthesis of the
traditional and the modern as its paramount goal (6.1 A system of education having
traditional Tibetan education as its core and modern education as its essential co-
partner shall be implemented)

9. REMARKABLE OVERALL GOAL AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Overall goal and achievements of Tibetan education in exile, steered by the ultimate
cosmopolitan visionary and moderniser His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama, are extraordinary and
rare for a refugee community, especially of this modest size:
• Vision—of not just survival and not just protecting Tibetan values and traditions for the Tibetan
community alone but for the benefit of all of humankind. In education, this takes the form of
His Holiness’s promoting the study of Secular/Universal Ethics to all age groups across the globe
• Goal—for Tibetan schooling, and monasteries more than met. To date, Tibetans choose to send
their children to Tibetan schools where possible to inculcate in them a Tibetan identity. Tibetan
schools and monasteries also attract and have rejuvenated education for Himalayan region
laypeople and monastics. Goal for Tibetan modern higher education is a work in progress
• Linguistic identity—preserved against all odds of colonised countries, even as the role of
English in the modern world is acknowledged and therefore promoted, including amongst
monastics
• Financial support and autonomy for education and a vast and and overall great physical
infrastructure of institutions— created across India, and in the case of monasteries, across the
world

10. MODERN SCHOOLING — ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES
ACHIEVEMENTS
• Achieved difficult goal of
synthesising tradition and
modernity—in language,
religion, traditions
• Preferred choice even today for
Tibetan parents in exile
• Numbers of Tibetans in exile
going through the system
• Created an infrastructure across
Tibetan settlements
• Affordability
• Well-rounded and well-adjusted
alumni, a huge achievement in
the context of tragedy of the
Tibetan situation
CHALLENGES TODAY
• Preserving linguistic identity comes with the cost of the
quality of language proficiency—both Tibetan and English,
especially written
• Quality of education w.r.t. competitive excellence—partly
also as time devoted over the years to non-modern
subjects
• The above is an issue where practically speaking, in the
modern age, for the worse, the prime purpose of
education is seen as livelihood (see BEP 2005, 2.5 where
main purpose is seen as achieving temporary and long-
term benefit for self and others)
• Changing demographics and declining numbers since 2008
—taking in of Himalayan etc. students and linguistic strain
• Lack of guidance on further study and careers
• Salaries for staff

11. MODERN HIGHER EDUCATION — ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES
ACHIEVEMENTS
• Met the goal of providing the
teaching of Tibetan specialised
subjects in Tibetan—literature,
language, history and
philosophy
• Also offering regular subjects,
for e.g., at DLIHE
• High quality of education at
some—for e.g., at IBD
Dharamshala, recognised in the
high demand from non-Tibetan
and international students,
despite poor quality of
infrastructure
• Fully funded option, for e.g., at
DLIHE
• Created option of an extended
wholly-Tibetan education
environment by taking it to
higher education domain
CHALLENGES TODAY
• No cohesive plan for modern higher education for Tibetans in exile, as
there is for schooling; no engagement on curriculum or systematic
interactions between institutions
• In some instances, no formal accredited and certified degrees despite
giving high quality education (for e.g., IBD)
• Where affiliated to regular Indian universities, lack of knowledge and
understanding of conventions of modern education—for e.g., importance
of continuity of batches or record-keeping
• Danger of being neither traditional nor modern (rather than being both)
• Simply grafting school systems and staff onto higher education – when
latter has completely different philosophy of education (for e.g., to
inculcate critical thinking), pedagogic needs (allow for debate etc.) and
need for range of student opportunities (for e.g., in on campus job
experience, internships, career guidance etc.)
• Quality of curriculum and teaching staff with specialisms far more critical
and demanding than at school level
• Declining numbers of Tibetan students in some, with no concerted effort
or plan on how to attract others
• Subtle sense of unwarranted superiority over traditional monasteries

12. MONASTIC EDUCATION - ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES
ACHIEVEMENTS
• Complete and high—quality replication in exile,
with systematic common curriculum, strict quality
of specialist highest level of teachers, exam
boards, debate as pedagogy
• Modernised and carefully revised—under HH’s
express directions (for e.g., systematic
engagement with science and study of modern
subjects in monasteries; modern subject
schooling, also to equip monks who choose to
disrobe with options; revision of curriculum with
more original treatises on Madhyamaka etc.
added; introduction of sutra teaching in tantric
colleges; and many more)
• Modernisation and accreditation going further –
with formal affiliation to Indian universities (Sera
Jey to Mysore University and the founding of a
Gelug University etc.)
• Rejuvenated Himalayan Buddhism in the direction
of scholasticism and modernism, not superstition
CHALLENGES TODAY
• His Holiness’s wish to see Geshe
Lharampas of high quality train in
English, so as to be able to benefit
others more widely, realised only to
a limited degree
• Changing demographics and
declining numbers since 2008—
when physical infrastructure
painstakingly created from modest
means in settlements is impressive
and vast
• Technological and other distractions
of the modern age to monastic life
and continuity
• Digital archiving of materials—oral
and translation—from great past
teachers in exile
• Passing of great Buxa lamas

13. OVERARCHING EXOGENOUS CHALLENGES AFFECTING EDUCATION TOO
• Keeping alive the Tibetan language
• Inter-generational differences—exist in all communities but
exacerbated for a refugee one and in context of the specificities of
deference etc. of all Asiatic societies in this regard, and leadership and
their understanding being in dissonance with younger generations
• Diasporic double displacement—same for all communities, again,
dangers for a refugee community’s struggle to retain identity (itself
complicated for younger generations for whom India is what they
know) much greater. The imperative to retain this identity and all its
facets is also greater
• Losing younger Tibetan talent to diaspora—when heart of struggle is
in India

14. BY WAY OF A CONCLUSION
• Fact of having this discussion six decades after 1959 itself a sign of much
achievement of a truly expansive goal under the most challenging
circumstances and ruthless, economically powerful coloniser and emerging
Great Power, and a constantly shifting time-horizon, without losing hope
• Credit goes to His Holiness the XIVth Dalai—the personification of the ideal
blend of tradition and modernity, a true cosmopolitan visionary
• Everything remains to struggle for, in terms of resisting assimilation by
default in Tibetan education in exile, beginning with being cognisant of the
challenges and opportunities
• India has been slow to take advantage of the presence of His Holiness and
Tibetans in India but today, many younger Indians are there as friends of
Tibet, an opportunity that must be fructified in terms of this resistance
Kadrin che!